Islamic school students hoped to meet last week with a state representative at Oklahoma’s capitol during Muslim Day, designed to combat hate rhetoric and hate legislation.  Instead, in the office of one representative, the students were asked to answer several written questions, including “Mohammed was a killer of pagans, Christians and Jews that did not… more

Backers of President Donald Trump were scheduled to hold rallies across the country Saturday. The “Spirit of America” rallies are being organized by a group called the Main Street Patriots, which is made up of some of the same people that founded the Tea Party movement eight years ago to voice concerns about the way… more

Since leaving the White House in 2009, former President George W. Bush has transformed his post-presidential perch into an easel for artwork, which helps him raise awareness and funds to ease soldiers’ transition to civilian life, and to treat the wounds of war. VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports. …… more

The number of mixed-race Americans is growing three times faster than the US population as a whole. That’s according to the Pew Research Center. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee reports from Los Angeles that many mixed-race Americans experience life in a way that is very different from that of any other minority group in the United States.… more

After U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions admitted he met twice with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak during last year’s presidential campaign and failed to disclose those meetings during his Senate confirmation hearing, the new administration continues to grapple with other revelations of previously undisclosed meetings with Kislyak. Sessions recused himself Thursday from any federal investigation of… more

When Johnnie Yellock enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, he knew his job as a combat controller would frequently put him in harm’s way.   “We volunteered in a time of war, we knew exactly what we were up against,” he told VOA. “A lot of our job titles were putting us right on the… more

Mercedes is recalling about 1 million cars and SUVs worldwide because a starter part can overheat and cause fires.   The recall covers certain C-Class, E-Class and CLA cars and GLA and GLC SUVs, all from 2015 through 2017, including nearly 308,000 in the U.S.   The German automaker reported 51 fires worldwide, with about… more

President Donald Trump did not utter the word “Russia” In his address to the U.S. Congress earlier this week. Still, observers in Moscow zeroed in on parts of his speech, including this one: “America is willing to find new friends, and to forge new partnerships, where shared interests align.” President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov,… more

U.S. President Donald Trump is visiting a Virginia shipyard Thursday to tour the most expensive warship ever built  – a high-profile event designed to showcase his budget pledge this week to dramatically boost U.S. military spending. “We’re going to spend a lot more money on military,” he told the Fox and Friends morning television show… more

Nations and philanthropists pledged close to $200 million Thursday for family planning at an international conference that aimed to make up for the gap left by President Donald Trump’s ban on U.S. funding to groups linked to abortion. In all, 57 nations attended the hastily convened one-day conference in Brussels and the funding drive was… more

From international tourism to federal employment prospects, every new president alters the fabric of life in the nation’s capital. But for local restaurateurs such as Ashok Bajaj, a new White House administration is just another president waiting to be fed. “It takes a little while for the administration to find a restaurant,” Bajaj, the owner… more

President Donald Trump set a record on Twitter Tuesday night as his speech before a joint session of Congress became the most-tweeted presidential Congressional speech ever, the company said. According to Twitter spokesman Nick Pacilio, 3 million people tweeted about Trump’s speech Tuesday night, beating out the previous record of 2.6 million held by former… more

U.S. consumer spending rose at only a sluggish pace in January, even as signs of growing optimism about the economy have emerged. Consumer spending increased 0.2 percent in January, after a 0.5 percent gain in December, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. Spending on services — from haircuts to health care — was flat, and Americans spent less… more

A Jewish advocacy group is calling on U.S. President Donald Trump to step up federal efforts to stamp out hate crimes after vandalism at a slew of Jewish cemeteries and bomb threats at schools have raised concerns for some in the Jewish community. Jonathan Greenblatt, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, told VOA he wants… more

Protesters planned marches Tuesday in downtown Vancouver as President Donald Trump’s two eldest sons attended the grand opening of their company’s new hotel and condominium tower in a city known for diversity and progressive politics. Security officers in black suits surrounded the building’s entrance while police gathered on sidewalks at the soaring tower, which has… more

More than 120 retired U.S. military generals and admirals are urging Congress not to cut spending on diplomacy and foreign aid, two government functions that may be targeted in President Donald Trump’s first budget proposal. When he unveils his budget proposal Tuesday before Congress, Trump is expected to call for a $54 billion boost in… more